Systems, methods and devices for tracking workout related information

Abstract

A workout system is described further herein that allows users of gym equipment to automatically track their workouts, as well as possibly receive real-time assistance related to their workouts. The system is not limited to any specific equipment, and can be used to track the weight used and number of repetitions performed on a variety of equipment, including, but not limited to, selectable weight stack machines, cable machines, barbells with removable weight plates, plate loaded machines, dumbbells, kettle bells and free weights.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for tracking workout related information comprising:
 a wearable device comprising:
 a wireless communication module; and 
 a processor for executing instructions stored in memory, which when executed configure the wearable device to:
 identify a piece of workout equipment in close proximity to the wearable device; and 
 receive workout information related to use of the identified piece of workout equipment; and 
 
   an equipment device associated with the piece of workout equipment comprising:
 a wireless communication module; and 
 a processor for executing instructions stored in memory, which when executed configure the equipment device to:
 determine the workout related information comprising an associated weight being used with the piece of workout equipment; and 
 transmit the workout information. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the equipment device is securable to the piece of workout equipment. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the piece of workout equipment comprises one or more of:
 a barbell for receiving removable weight plates; and   a workout machine comprising a number of selectable weight plates.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the equipment device is a barbell device located at an end of a barbell and further comprise an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or both for providing positioning information for use in determining a motion associated with the use of the barbell, and wherein the workout information transmitted to the wearable device further comprises repetition information indicative of a number of repetitions of the use of the barbell. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the execution of the instructions by the processor of the equipment device further configure the equipment device to:
 process the positioning information from the accelerometer, the gyroscope, or both to determine a repetition count indicating the number of repetitions of the use of the piece of workout equipment, wherein the repetition information comprises the repetition count.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the repetition information comprises the positioning information from the accelerometer, the gyroscope, or both. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the barbell device uses one or more of a barcode reader, a near-field communication (NFC) reader, a Bluetooth radio, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio, a colour image capture device, or combinations thereof for detecting respective tag on a removable weight plate as the removable weight plate is added to or removed from the barbell over the barbell device, and wherein the instructions when executed by the processor of the barbell device further configure the barbell device to determine the associated weight being used with the barbell using data from the barcode reader, the near-field communication (NFC) reader, the colour image capture device, or the combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the barbell device further comprises a sensor for determining when the removable weight plate is being added to or removed from the barbell. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the sensor for determining when the removable weight plate is being added to or removed from the barbell comprises a plurality of capacitive touch sensors spaced apart from each other in a direction the removable weight plate is added to or removed from the barbell. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the sensor comprises a metal-sensing proximity circuit for detecting proximity of the removable weight plate. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein an identifier of the removable weight plate is compared to identifiers associated with the barbell device to determine if the removable weight plate is being added or removed. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the equipment device is a weight stack device for securing a selected number of weight plates for use in the piece of workout equipment and comprises a sensor for determining a distance from a reference location that the weight stack device has moved. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the sensor of the weight stack device comprises an ultrasonic transducer and receiver for determining the distance from the reference location that the weight stack device has moved. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the weight stack device comprises a floor unit and a pin unit for securing the selected number of weight plates, the ultrasonic transducer and the ultrasonic receiver being located in opposite ones of the floor unit and the pin unit. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the weight stack device further comprises an infrared (IR) transmitter and an IR receiver, wherein the IR transmitter sends a signal from the pin unit to the floor unit to place the floor unit in an awake mode. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the weight stack device comprises a range finder device for determining the distance from the reference location that the weight stack device has moved located in a pin for securing a selected number of weight plates or located in a floor unit. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the range finder device comprises an ultrasonic-based range finder device or a laser-based range finder device. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wearable device comprises a near-field communication (NFC) reader and the equipment device or the piece of workout equipment includes an NFC tag identifying the piece of workout equipment to the wearable device. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wearable device comprises a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) radio, and the equipment device or the piece of workout equipment includes a BLE tag identifying the piece of workout equipment to the wearable device. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary equipment device associated with a piece of auxiliary workout equipment comprising:
 an equipment device associated with the piece of workout equipment comprising:
 a wireless communication module; 
 one or more sensors for determining auxiliary workout information; and 
 a processor for executing instructions stored in memory, which when executed configure the equipment device to:
 establish a wireless communication path with the wearable device; 
 determine the auxiliary workout related information from the one or more sensors of the auxiliary equipment device; and 
 transmit the workout information to the wearable device using the established wireless communication path. 
 
   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a gym management computing device for managing a plurality of the wearable devices and a plurality of the equipment devices. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the gym management computing device tracks usage of related gym equipment based on received workout information from the plurality of wearable devices. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a user interface computing device for providing user access to stored workout information. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wearable computing devices establishes a communication channel with the equipment device associated with the identified piece of workout equipment, the communication channel used for transmitting the workout information. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the equipment device broadcasts the workout information in association with an identifier associated with the identified piece of workout equipment. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the equipment device broadcasts the workout information in a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacon. 
     
     
         27 . A removable plate equipment device for use in providing workout related information to a wearable device, the removable plate equipment device comprising:
 a housing sized to fit within an opening of a removable weight plate and comprising an end for securing to an end of a weight plate receiving bar;   a plate sensor for detecting when a removable weight plate is being added or removed;   a tag reader for reading an identification tag located at the opening of the removable weight plate of the removable weight plate passing over the tag reader;   a processor for executing instructions stored in memory, which when executed cause the removable plate equipment device to be configured to:
 detect when the weight plate is being added or removed and enable the tag reader; 
 receive a signal from the tag reader and determine an amount of weight associated with the removable weight plate; and 
 update an amount of weight associated with the weight plate receiving bar; and 
   a wireless communication interface for transmitting workout information comprising the updated amount of weight associated with the weight plate receiving bar.   
     
     
         28 . The removable plate equipment device of  claim 27 , wherein the tag reader comprises at least one of:
 a barcode tag reader;   a QR code tag reader;   an NFC tag reader;   a Bluetooth radio;   a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) radio; and   a colour-coded tag reader.   
     
     
         29 . The removable plate equipment device of  claim 28 , wherein the tag reader comprises an NFC tag reader. 
     
     
         30 . The removable plate equipment device of  claim 27 , wherein the plate sensor comprises:
 an outboard plate change sensor for detecting the removable weight plate passing over the outboard plate change sensor; and   an inboard plate change sensor for detecting the removable weight plate passing over the inboard plate change sensor and located between the outboard plate change sensor and the end for securing to the end of the weight plate receiving bar; and   wherein the executed instructions further configure the removable plate equipment device to:
 Receive signals from the inboard and outboard plate change sensors, and based on a time of reception determining if the removable weight plate is being added to or removed from the weight plate receiving bar. 
   
     
     
         31 . The removable plate equipment device of  claim 27 , wherein the plate sensor comprises a metal-sensing proximity circuit for detecting proximity of the removable weight plate, and wherein the executed instructions further configure the removable plate equipment device to:
 determine if the removable weight plate is being added or removed based on a comparison of a weight plate identifier to identifiers associated with the removable plate equipment device.   
     
     
         32 . A selectable plate equipment device for use in providing workout related information to a wearable device, the selectable plate equipment device comprising:
 a pin for selecting a number of plates to be used in a piece of selectable plate workout equipment;   a range finder device for determining a distance from a stationary reference point to the pin during use of the selectable plate workout equipment;   a processor for executing instructions stored in memory, which when executed cause the selectable plate equipment device to be configured to:
 receive signals from the range finder and determine a selected amount of weight; and 
   a wireless communication interface for communicating to the wearable device workout information comprising the selected amount of weight selected by the pin.   
     
     
         33 . The selectable plate equipment device of  claim 32 , wherein in the range finder comprises a transducer and a receiver, one of the transducer and the receiver is located within the pin and the other one of the transducer and the receiver is located within a floor unit. 
     
     
         34 . The selectable plate equipment device of  claim 33 , further comprising an IR transmitter connected to the pin unit and an IR receiver connected to floor unit for providing a wake-up signal from the pin unit to the floor unit. 
     
     
         35 . The selectable plate equipment device of  claim 34 , further comprising an accelerometer in the pin unit for detecting movement and transmitting the wake-up signal upon detecting the movement if the floor unit is not awake. 
     
     
         36 . The selectable plate equipment device of  claim 32 , wherein rangefinder device is located in one of the pin or a floor unit. 
     
     
         37 . The selectable plate equipment device of  claim 36 , wherein the rangefinder device comprises an ultrasonic-based rangefinder device or a laser-based rangefinder device. 
     
     
         38 . A method of providing virtual training to a user comprising:
 receiving a workout plan for the user identifying a plurality of exercises, one or more of the plurality of exercises comprising an indication of a piece of equipment, and associated weight and a number of repetitions;   providing instructions to the user regarding at least one unperformed exercise of the workout plan;   receiving workout information from a wearable device of the user providing an indication of a piece of equipment being used, an amount of weight be used and repetition information;   comparing the received workout information to the workout plan; and   providing feedback to the user based on the comparison.   
     
     
         39 . A near-field communication (NFC) tag comprising:
 a body defining an internal opening;   a wire loop antenna surrounding the internal opening of the body; and   NFC circuitry connected to the wire loop antenna.